Burns Down Everything
by eleen
Summary: He knew in that moment that Gibbs could see them. All of them. CD warning .


Burns Down Everything

…

_Is love only sweet when one of us dies?_

…

There was more to it, and Gibbs knew it. Of course it did. He knew it, too.

He warned her and he warned her. His efforts were a little lax, though, he'd had faith that she could manage. Her technique had always put him on edge. The Probie, too. But she never failed to hold it together on the road.

That's why there had to be more.

It had to take more than a little black ice to be the undoing of their favorite, super assassin. It was that doubt that resonated somewhere in his own ever-forming gut that never left him until he'd chased the bastards down on his own terms, consequences be damned.

The only thing he received was a proud look from Gibbs.

He thought, once, that it was much worse to have the car catch on fire. An idea he played with after the untimely demise on his own mustang that had almost led to his own. But there was something about the haunting and perfectly preserved crime scene that kept with him. The last moment of the incident frozen in time from everyone to see like a macabre museum display.

He could see her brown, empty eyes.

He felt nothing.

He felt everything.

…

_So how can it be this lonely?_

…

She was green and seemed nice enough, and she made McGee laugh, which must count for something.

He doesn't bite. He thinks he may have changed around then.

Maybe.

She baited him and wasn't afraid of Gibbs or him and held her own. Her brown eyes were big and eager. She kicked a suspect's ass and had no idea how familiar she looked.

She had ink on her finger from combat with the printer and paused to rub the place between her eyes in would-be cute frustration. The ink left a spot that no one mentioned, much to her dismay later. She had no idea how familiar she looked.

…

_Just a car crash away_

…

He thinks that once she might have said that all the good ones die young? She was right.

And she was an assassin, a spy. Spies were supposed to disappear into thin air, the wraiths who never existed. A Martyr usually never mentioned in textbooks, all their secrets taken to the grave.

Not to leave bits of themselves behind. Not grave-makers or necklaces or memories.

What did he feel? Now he would never get to know.

…

_Is this all we get for our lives?_

…

Leroy Jethro Gibbs had faced his final foe. And won.

He'd always imagined Gibbs would get a brilliant death scene. Oscar worthy. He always knew there would be no wasting his days away in some well earned retirement, building boats on the coast of Mexico.

He knew in that moment that Gibbs could see them. All of them.

He couldn't wait until he could follow.

…

_She blew me her death-kiss_

…

He found Abby alone in her lab, one hand on Maj. MASPEC the other clutching her stuffed Hippo, Bert. The echoes of his shoes on the linoleum filled the empty spaced left behind by her vacated possessions. She looked like a child saying goodbye to her first bedroom

"It's time, Abs."

Her grip on the masspectrometer had tightened as had her features. He thought her agony might split either the machine or stuffed toy in two.

McGee then entered and in a moment was beside her, a hand on her shoulder.

Abby's grip had loosened and she allowed herself to be led away and they left the lab together, never to return.

He wished he could go with them.

…  
_Eating my spine_

…

There's three of them. He watches them more than they think.

Two have a thing, it's hard to miss. He reminds them of rule number twelve liberally, it's his responsibly. He feels a bit like a hypocrite. It won't make a difference, anyway.

He gets the call, the banter ceases and the third looks up from his computer knowing what's coming.

"Grab your gear."

They all scramble as he heads for the elevator, trademark cup in his hand. As much of his person as the gun at his side or the steely look in his eyes.

The three manage to join him in the elevator before the doors close.

Three are gasping and chuckling amongst themselves at their success as the elevator doors finally shut before them all.

…

_I knew that our love was_

…

He couldn't wait until he could follow.

…

_Everything you think will burn_

…

_

* * *

_

Lyrics: Marilyn Manson, _Just A Car Crash Away_

NCIS not mine. I just got really sad thinking about the inevitable end of NCIS all of sudden and wrote this.

Thanks for reading, reviews are more than welcome.


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